Colleen Gwynne believes Bradley Murdoch has forgotten where Peter Falconio’s body is

A key investigator who helped catch outback killer Bradley Murdoch has shared a new theory as to why he’ll never reveal the location of Peter Falconio’s body.

Peter Falconio (inset) and Colleen Gwynne.

There’s one reason Bradley Murdoch will never reveal where Peter Falconio’s body is, the former lead investigator in the disappearance believes.

Former NT Police officer Colleen Gwynne, who led the investigation into Mr Falconio’s disappearance more than 20 years ago, said she had her doubts the convicted killer knows where Mr Falconio is.

Colleen Gwynne.

“He’s not acknowledged that he knows where the body is,” Ms Gwynne told this masthead.

“(Murdoch) had a pretty good understanding of outback Australia – particularly those areas that he travelled regularly.

“He knew that like the back of his hand; there is potential that with the stress that he was under, the fact that Joanne escaped and he had a victim that was now at large, that he may – through the stress – he may have forgotten exactly where he disposed of the body.

“I’d be surprised because that doesn’t really equate with his personality.”

Murdoch is currently in palliative care dying of throat cancer in Alice Springs, and on Wednesday NT police confirmed they’d again spoken to the convicted killer – but to no avail.

“On all occasions, he’s chosen not to positively engage with the police,” Acting Commander Mark Grieve told media on Wednesday.

NT Police are now offering $500,000 to anyone who has information which leads to the location of Mr Falconio’s body.

Peter Falconio.

Bradley John Murdoch.

On July 14, 2001, Mr Falconio and girlfriend Joanne Lees were travelling in an orange Kombi van on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek – about 300km north of Alice Springs – when they were motioned to pull over by another motorist.

Mr Falconio was shot in the head and Ms Lees was able to escape and Murdoch attempted to abduct Ms Lees but she escaped.

Murdoch was charged with murder in 2003, and found guilty by a jury in a 2005 trial.

He has maintained his innocence since the beginning, however has had two appeals knocked back.

26/07/2001: A missing person poster offering the initial $250,000 reward for the whereabouts of Peter Falconio is placed in the Todd Mall Alice Springs, Snr Sgt Colleen Gwynne places the poster.

There are some in the community who believe Murdoch is innocent, however Ms Gwynne is certain with “no doubt” in her mind that Murdoch is guilty.

“I knew every inch of the case and every piece of evidence,” she said.

“The investigation actually prompted us to establish a whole new major crime system that allowed us to order the information in a way that we can sort it, and then get to those persons or vehicles of interest.

“Out of that, then we kept eliminating and kept receiving information.

“And then, I guess, grading that information until we got to three or four – and Murdoch was there as one of the people that was a person of interest, and then became a suspect.”